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Significant Growth of Public Interest in Integrative Health and the Need to Transform Healthcare Education Drives University Development

Southern California University of Health Sciences’ (SCU) board of regents recently elected Thomas S. Bakman, DC, FAFICC as the Chair, Board of Regents. The board also announced the appointment of new board members, Mikal Belicove, D.H.L., Susan Haeger, and Ruth Westreich. The board provides leadership for carrying out SCU’s mission to educate students as competent, caring, and successful integrative healthcare practitioners. Bringing diverse and extensive experience in the healthcare, corporate, and nonprofit sectors—the new board members, share in SCU’s vision of transforming and redefining health and healthcare education. “SCU’s unique healthcare education provides students and healthcare practitioners with advanced integrative, interprofessional educational opportunities that prepare them to be leaders in the healthcare system of the future. We welcome the addition of these outstanding board members who bring tested professional talent, expertise, and passion for the transformation of healthcare delivery,” said SCU’s President/CEO John Scaringe, DC, EdD.

New Board Appointments:

Thomas S. Bakman, DC, FAFICC – Chair, Board of Regents

Thomas Bakman As a licensed chiropractor since 1988, Dr. Bakman has provided healthcare in multidisciplinary practices since 1993. He believes in putting the best of medicine, physical therapy, athletic training, and Chiropractic together for the benefit of the patient. Dr. Bakman has spent his career learning from all disciplines the subtle signs of their body breaking down. His athletic background and discipline in fitness since the age of 13 led him to the point of making a career of helping others achieve their health goals. His business experience of starting practices, utilization review and creating a medical provider network for California has aided him to best utilize a health care delivery system in today’s market.
“I am grateful for the leadership of Dr. Scaringe and former chair Dr. Valusek and honored to step in at this time. The excitement and resources of the board are extraordinary! Together we can bring a true integrative healthcare model to education and the world!”

Mikal Belicove, D.H.L. – Board Member

Mikal Belicove Mikal E. Belicove is a book author, ghost writer, and brand architect who applies journalistic tradecraft to corporate and business storytelling. The third edition of his latest co-authored book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Facebook,” was published by Penguin Group (USA), while Mikal’s next book, “Strategy: You don’t know what the heck you’re talking about!,” is set to publish in early-2019. Previously, Mikal launched, managed and sold a Boulder, Colo.-based Internet start-up; wrote the ‘Ask a Geek’ and ‘Build a Website’ columns for Entrepreneur magazine; worked in Acquisitions for John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JW.A) and Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO); served on Keystone College’s Board of Trustees; and worked in a variety of executive roles for Internet start-ups and not-for-profit organizations, including the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). Mikal was the commencement speaker in May 2012 for Keystone College, at which time he was honored with a Doctorate in Humane Letters.
“The reason I am on SCU’s Board of Regents is quite simple. The future of healthcare won’t be determined by hospital administrators, insurance executives, or by the myriad of professionals already working in the field. Rather, the future of healthcare will be determined by how we choose to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals — and that’s exactly what we do here at Southern California University of Health Sciences, the nation’s foremost and preeminent provider of whole-person, integrative healthcare education.”

Susan Haeger – Board Member

Susan Haeger Ms. Haeger is founder and President of Transformative Health Solutions Group (THSG), which provides professional and strategic consulting services for corporate, nonprofit and advocacy development. She has a deep history of strategic vision and skillful execution that has been central to the success of significant initiatives in the health and wellness market. With over 20 years executive leadership and management at progressive health and wellness organizations, Haeger has consistently demonstrated proven results in strategic business growth for market application to consumer, business, and public policy markets.
“I’m excited to bring my passion and experience for transforming healthcare to SCU, a leader in innovative inter professional education. SCU’s faculty and curriculum offer students unique and advanced insights into patient care and integrative approaches to graduate health professional leaders competent and understanding of solutions for America’s crisis in healthcare.”

Ruth Westreich – Board Member

Ruth Westreich Ruth is the President of the Westreich Foundation, a family foundation for over 20 years. She has been a major force behind the integrative medicine movement. Her expertise and areas of focus include Integrative Medicine, Functional Medicine, Natural Medicine, and Palliative Care for end of life and chronic conditions, the science of nutrition, food safety, vaccine safety, and the creative arts as part of a healing experience. Ruth’s expertise and niche is being a strategic advisor to create bridges between these siloed groups to change the paradigm of healthcare in the U.S. to a systems’ biology, personalized lifestyle focus with the patient and prevention of disease at the center. She was the commencement speaker in April 2017 for Southern California University of Health Sciences at which time was honored with a Doctorate in Humanities.
“SCUHS is uniquely positioned in the health sciences education space to be a bridge between conventional medical education and natural medicine offerings. As a philanthropist who moves freely between all of those fields, I find that SCU’s interprofessional educational model is timely and forward thinking. I am looking forward to the upcoming possibilities.”
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